The Haunted Cinema

The so-called "pollution" had now become glaringly obvious.

On the two stone tablets were several bloodstained talismans, each plastered with an ominous and malicious intent. The talismans were unmistakably vessels of curses, their purpose and meaning leaving no room for doubt.

At this moment, Cathy spoke her new line: "I remember now! On May 7th, there was a report about a tourist bus from a travel agency that crashed into a ravine due to a mechanical failure. The driver and thirty-six passengers perished in the accident. It caused quite a stir at the time. Later, I heard the travel agency went bankrupt because of it…"

Allen's mind also raced, and he immediately blurted out: "So... all those passengers we saw, the ones who were with us, they're all... ghosts?"

He no longer hesitated, reaching out to tear off the bloodstained talismans that were stuck fast to the tablets. He didn't know who had placed them there, but at that moment, he had no choice but to tear them off!

Cathy, helping to tear them off, continued her line: "Oh, right! I remember now! There was also news coverage about how the local villagers, ignorant and superstitious, believed that having the dead here would disturb the feng shui, and they forbade the families of the deceased from erecting tombstones. But the families believed the spirits of the dead were bound to this place, so they would come to pray and make offerings. Eventually, they united to build this tombstone and placed portraits of the deceased. These talismans were likely put here by those dissatisfied villagers! It's because these bloodstained talismans have become 'pollution,' preventing the spirits from resting in peace, that they've returned from the afterlife…"

A surge of fury rose in Allen's chest. Not a single line in the script had mentioned any of this! There was no such bus accident on May 7th, 2013, in his world! Clearly, this entire plot was fabricated! The problem was, they were given no hints about this fictional storyline. How were they supposed to know about events they could not possibly foresee?

But it was too late to dwell on it now. He had to tear off these bloodstained talismans, and there were seven of them in total, stuck onto the two stone tablets!

Soon enough, the script provided explicit instructions to tear off the talismans. To his surprise, every time he ripped one off, his "redemption tickets" increased by fifty. This was an unexpected windfall! Fifty tickets per talisman meant that tearing off all seven would grant him 350 tickets!

Continuing with his line, he spoke again: "Oh, by the way! Dan and Carlin booked this tour package through a group-buying website. But later, when I tried to visit their site, it showed that the page didn't exist. At first, I thought it was an issue with my browser, but now I realize, that page... it was a ghost website! So, the driver and Miss Mu... they were already dead long ago!"

A sudden realization struck Allen. No wonder...

No wonder the faces of the passengers seemed so pale. He had initially thought they were actors, frightened of the fate that awaited them. But now, it dawned on him—they were actors. And the reason the driver didn't flee when he was about to die wasn't because he possessed some tool to control spirits, but because he was a ghost, not an actor! After they all got off the bus, the passengers immediately began searching for Liu An's whereabouts, not to follow the plot, but because they weren't actors...

Many inconsistencies in the plot now made perfect sense to him.

Allen couldn't help but curse himself inwardly. How had he failed to notice these clues? Had he been more observant, he wouldn't have been so passive. If he had known those passengers weren't actors, he could have come up with many strategies. Through conversations, he could have obtained crucial information!

Why had he never considered that they might not be actors?

His preconceived notions had led him to make critical errors, resulting in a complete failure!

After tearing off a talisman, he immediately received special instructions from the script: This talisman was a "soul-stirring charm," capable of dispelling ghosts and even transporting one to the next horror film. Once it became warm, it signified the approach of a ghost. The downside was that it was a one-time use; after being used, the talisman would spontaneously combust and disappear. If he wanted to keep it, he had to place it in his pocket within three seconds of tearing it off. Otherwise, if it wasn't pocketed in time, he would lose double the reward, 400 redemption tickets for the scene. If there were two, it would be 800 tickets, and if the delay lasted over ten seconds, the penalty would continue to increase!

Without hesitation, Allen stuffed the talisman into his pocket.

However, after tearing off two talismans, the remaining bloodstained ones were far more stubborn to remove.

What was going on?

He picked up a stone from the ground, trying to scrape the talismans off. Clearly, he had to remove this "pollution" if he wanted to send these spirits back to the afterlife in peace.

But...

At this moment, he was gripped by a strong sense of fear!

After all, Zhang Dekun and Jiang Yi were still behind, and they might appear at any moment!

Horror films often followed a certain formula. When you discovered that someone you thought was alive had already died, that person would rarely continue to appear as a living person. Instead, they would transform into a vengeful ghost, seeking to kill you!

Meanwhile, Cathy had already torn off two of the bloodstained talismans, but the remaining three—two of which Allen had stuck on and one of which Cathy had—refused to come off!

Allen used a sharp stone to try to tear the talisman apart, but it had an unusual texture. This was no ordinary talisman—it was one with real power over ghosts!

"What... what should I do?" Sweat poured from Allen's forehead. After all, Zhang Dekun and Jiang Yi were approaching quickly! He and Cathy had been the first to arrive, but once they arrived...

Now that the main character was dead, Dean's role had essentially taken over the protagonist's duties. Although Allen didn't understand why the main character had died so quickly (the reason being that Charles had accidentally used the cursed ghost mirror, and the main character's safety was no longer guaranteed by the script), perhaps he now had some of the protagonist's luck?

Then, Cathy suddenly stood up and said, "I'll draw them away! You keep tearing off the talismans!"

Without another word, Cathy rushed into the dark depths of the forest!

Allen was utterly stunned. He never expected Cathy to have such courage!

Knowing they were ghosts, she still dared to lead them away?

Of course, she had two soul-stirring charms with her, so she must have been confident in her ability to do so. Even so, her bravery was truly remarkable!

Though he still didn't know her real name, Allen couldn't help but feel deep admiration for this brave and beautiful woman. At that moment, all he could do was silently pray... that she would survive!

With fifteen minutes remaining until the film's end!

Cathy, clutching the talismans, rushed into the forest, her heart now set on a path of no return. In this moment, she had wagered everything.

She... was not the seasoned actress that Allen had imagined. On the contrary, she was a newcomer to the industry. This was her first horror film.

Her real name was Martin.

Before entering this terrifying film, she had been a beautician, highly skilled in fashion hairstyles. For years, she had been saving up to open her own salon. Her nature was calm and detached, and she wasn't adept at socializing. Instead, she spent her days immersed in her work, perfecting her craft.

It was only when she had finally saved enough to buy a new shop, preparing to renovate it, that, while holding the deed and contemplating her future, she saw a promotional poster for a horror film on the ground.

And so…

This was how she ended up here.

However, she quickly regained her composure.

Martin's parents had always been distant, indifferent to her life. After she graduated from university, they hardly bothered with her at all. She had ventured out into the world alone, enduring many hardships, even falling prey to scams. She had struggled to survive in harsh circumstances, yet her introverted nature and inability to disguise herself socially made her path even more difficult. Despite it all, her dream of becoming a beautician kept her going, and through the darkest days, she had persevered. Now, she finally had her own shop. When the time came to open it, she remembered her father's birthday was fast approaching. Although she knew that her parents' marriage had always been less than ideal, their strained relationship had caused her father to neglect her, she still wanted to tell him that she had finally realized her dream.

She thought, at least he might acknowledge her.

But... fate was cruel.

Yet, she was not one to bow easily to the harshness of life. She quickly grasped her current situation, gathering her wits and observing everyone around her. And Allen—this man—whom she first found to be anxious and fearful, had soon calmed himself. His judgments might not have been entirely accurate, but he was trying to survive, refusing to be overwhelmed by fear and swept along by fate.

Thus, Martin decided to help him. Of course, she had her own selfish motives. If she saved him, her redemption tickets would increase. But more than that, she longed for a companion she could trust. Her inability to connect with others had been her greatest weakness, one that had cost her dearly. And in this ghostly cinema, survival was impossible without someone by your side. That was why she chose this moment to help Allen.

She knew this soul-stirring talisman, just as the script had suggested, would affect the ghosts, compelling them to return from the afterlife to haunt the bus where they had perished. With the talisman in her possession, perhaps it could offer her some measure of safety. Of course, she couldn't afford to remove it carelessly, for doing so for even a second would cost her three hundred redemption tickets—the amount she earned for this film. She had to be careful.

At the same time, she was aware that the film's protagonist was male, and now that the original protagonist was dead, Dean was more likely to inherit his luck and status. This was why she had decided to leave Dean's actor behind.

She hoped… this was not a wrong decision.

Just then, she halted in her tracks.

Martin felt the talisman in her possession begin to grow warm.

This… seemed to be a warning!

At that moment, Allen, exerting all his strength, finally tore off the fifth talisman. There were now only two left. He had already torn off three talismans, which meant he had earned 150 redemption tickets! His total redemption tickets now amounted to 181!

It had been five minutes since Cathy left, and Zhang Dekun and Jiang Yi had not yet appeared.

"Miss Jiang…" he silently prayed, "Though I don't know your name, I hope… you will survive! I haven't had the chance to repay you yet..."

In stark contrast to Martin, Allen's parents had always been deeply caring. He had grown up surrounded by the affection of his parents and relatives. Whenever the world outside seemed cold and harsh, home was always a warm sanctuary. It reminded him that, no matter how dark and unjust life might be, there would always be someone willing to offer a place to rest. As a result, he was deeply grateful and loyal to those who had shown him kindness. Even the smallest gestures of help were etched into his heart. And Cathy—she had saved his life.

He realized that these talismans could only be slowly peeled off by hand. There was no other way.

With fifteen minutes left until the movie's end!